Vegetarian Piccata with Chickpeas and Cauliflower Mash
Beautifully buttery and perfectly tangy, this Veggie Piccata recipe delivers all the satisfying flavors of classic piccata—with a meat-free twist! Featuring tender chickpeas bathed in a luscious lemon caper sauce over a bed of creamy parmesan-infused cauliflower mash, it's a truly cozy and unforgettable vegetarian feast you're sure to love!
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot - for cooking the cauliflower
- 1 Food Processor - for making the cauliflower mash
- 1 large skillet - for cooking the piccata sauce
Ingredients
Vegetarian Piccata
- 5 TBS Unsalted Butter - DIVIDED
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 whole Shallot – peeled and finely diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic – peeled and minced
- 2 tsp All Purpose Flour - OPTIONAL (SEE NOTES)
- ¾ Cup Dry White Wine
- 1 ¾ Cup Reduced Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Stock - DIVIDED (SEE NOTES)
- 1 whole Lemon - juiced (about 2 TBS)
- 1 (19 ounce) can Cooked Chickpeas – drained and rinsed
- 2 TBS Brined Capers - or more to taste ; drained
- 2 TBS Fresh Parsley – roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Cauliflower Mash
- 1 Large Head Cauliflower – florets roughly chopped into 1-½’’ pieces
- 3 TBS Milk
- ¼ Cup Parmesan - freshly grated
- Optional Garnishes: Lemon Slices, Fresh Parsley, Grated Parmesan, Micro Greens
Instructions
- Cook the Cauliflower: In a large pot, bring 1 cup chicken stock or broth and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Once boiling, add the cauliflower florets and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and steam cauliflower for 18-20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
- Make the Cauliflower Mash: Drain the cauliflower and transfer to a food processor (SEE NOTES). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add it to the food processor along with the milk. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary. (Note: Add extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if a thinner consistency is desired). Add cheese to food processor and pulse until the cheese is just combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. (SEE NOTES)
- Meanwhile, Make the Piccata Sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Optional - For a thicker sauce, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then continue on with recipe.
- Deglaze the Pan: Add the wine, increase heat to medium-high and cook until reduced and thickened, about 4 minutes.
- Add Stock, Lemon, and Chickpeas to Piccata: Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and chickpeas to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is again reduced and the chickpeas are warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Finish Piccata Sauce: Remove pan from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, capers, and parsley until melted and sauce is velvety, about 1 minute. Taste the veggie piccata and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve Vegetarian Piccata: Divide cauliflower mash evenly among plates and make a small well in the center. Top with chickpeas and piccata sauce. Garnish with lemon slices, grated parmesan, and parsley. Enjoy immediately while warm!
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="LlEoA6k2" upload-date="2019-03-13T17:31:20+00:00" name="Vegetarian Piccata" description="Beautifully buttery and perfectly tangy, this Veggie Piccata recipe delivers all the satisfying flavors of classic piccata—with a meat-free twist! Featuring tender chickpeas bathed in a luscious lemon caper sauce over a bed of creamy parmesan-infused cauliflower mash, it’s a truly cozy and unforgettable vegetarian feast you’re sure to love!" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
- When preparing the cauliflower for the mash, you will want to cut the head of cauliflower into florets, and then cut the florets into roughly ½ - 1’’ pieces. You don’t need to be exact. Just know if you leave your pieces of cauliflower on the larger side, they will take longer to become completely soft when steaming, so you will need to add a few minutes to the cook time.
- When steaming the cauliflower, you can substitute water, or broth, for the stock. You can use a combination of stock and water. I use stock because it adds a lot of flavor.
- If you have an immersion blender, I recommend you use it when making the cauliflower mash, instead of transferring everything to the food processor. Simply drain the cauliflower and return it back to the pot and follow the instructions as directed, adding the butter and milk, then stir in the parmesan cheese.
- If you want to save time, the cauliflower mash can be made up to 3 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the mash in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed throughout, stirring occasionally. Add a splash or two of more milk or butter if desired.
- If you want your piccata sauce a little thicker and creamier, you can add a little bit of flour. You will want to add it to the pan after the garlic and before the wine. Just make sure you cook the flour, while constantly stirring, for at least a minute to cook off the raw flour taste. I have made the piccata sauce both with, and without, the addition of flour, and I personally like it without the flour. I find the sauce to be more velvety, delicate and buttery without the flour, but like always, I encourage you to make this recipe your own! If you watch the recipe video, it includes adding flour to the piccata sauce.
-
Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
-
Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 289kcal Carbohydrates: 15g Protein: 7g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 11g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 43mg Sodium: 697mg Potassium: 707mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 6g Vitamin A: 891IU Vitamin C: 105mg Calcium: 149mg Iron: 1mg